In the 90s, burgers and fries were at their peak. There may have been a plethora of jeans and high waisted scrunchies this decade as well, but there was also a glaring lack of health awareness and widespread environmental concern. As society has continued to evolve towards the latter, fast food has at times struggled to keep up.
Here are some of the fast food products that have aged poorly and have gone from loved or promising to disappointing. And for more, check out 5 Big Fast Food Chains That Are Falling Out of Favor with Customers.
The McRib made another comeback this year, with a fair amount of skepticism. Does anyone still like this article? Have they already done it? According to a slew of negatives Comments and internet chat, the answer to both questions is a categorical “no”. This Reddit user Put it perhaps the most bluntly, saying, “The McRib is a total disgrace to the pork tenderloin family… with a disgusting, bland barbecue sauce. It’s an abomination to the sandwich family. I just came from” try one 15 minutes ago and it deserves to be sent back to its graveyard. “
Others on the thread agree, calling the sandwich “disappointing”, “strange” and “boring”. The reviewers echo these concerns, citing in particular the lack of barbecue sauce and the poor meat quality. The texture would be loose, soft and crumbly in a way that is not natural to the ribs.
“At this rate, McDonald’s should just partner up with one of these fake meat companies and start selling the McFib,” wrote a review.
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Sure, we all still have some – who can say no to a side of fries – but it looks like we’re not as happy on Mickey D’s side of Mickey D fries as we once were.
The problem comes down (literally) to what McDonald’s cooks their fries in. As we previously reported, the side of pre-1990s fries were coated in beef tallow (mostly beef fat), before the brand switched to vegetable oil. then, from 2002, switched to a mixture of soybean oil and corn. Mickey D’s then switched in 2007 and 2008 to a trans fat free version of the oil. So, yeah, we’ve had over a decade to get used to these new fries.
But if you doubted the fast food nostalgia could last for decades, think again. People always complain about the downgraded fried flavor. As one Reddit user attested, unequivocally the worst menu item is fries.
“Since they changed the oil. Before, the fries got soft if you didn’t eat them right away. Now they get hard,” they wrote.
Burger King’s attempt to come up with a plant-based offering may have been pioneering, but overall it was not well received. Perfect example of an object trying to cope with increasing competition and failing, the Impossible Whopper can now be found on several “worst BK menu items“lists. In fact, the reviews were lukewarm from the start, including ours. And like a critic Put it very simply, “It’s not bad… it’s just not exceptional either.”
There is another layer to the disappointing nature of The Impossible Whopper. Despite all the hype that there’s finally a meatless fast food option out there, the Impossible Whopper may not even qualify as fully vegan due to the way it’s prepared. In 2019 a customer sued the chain, saying he felt “fooled by Burger King’s deceptive practices into eating a meatless Whopper Patty that was actually coated in meat by-products.” Likewise, people have complained that the herbal whopper isn’t even much healthier than a regular old beef burger.
Basically, the Impossible Whopper fails on almost every level: taste, health, and veganism.
There are few fast food products that get as much vitriol online as Dunkin’s hash browns. You might think that, as a breakfast-centric chain, Dunkin ‘would have this quintessential breakfast item under lock and key. Instead, the channel regularly receives reviews for these bad boys. In fact, a dedicated user an entire Reddit thread snapping browns, saying “I never got to finish them all because I’m afraid it will make me sick. They taste like weird chemicals and herbs and are always wet, soft sponges without crisp.”
And others agree. On again another thread dedicated to the disgusting nature of these potato pancakes, a user said, “Dunkin Donuts really have the worst hash browns. They should take them off the menu. They’re fatty, the combination of herbs in them tastes awful, and they leave you feeling pretty bad.”
The theme of chemical taste has been picked up everywhere on the Internet, even on TripAdvisor– which begs the question: what exactly is Dunkin doing wrong with this menu item?
According to a recent survey by Mashed, 31% of those surveyed said coleslaw was the worst item on Popeyes’ otherwise poppin menu. This has a rap as being too “creamy” and “bland,” which may be the reason for its repeatedly ranking low on the best and worst lists.
Much like Dunkin’s hash browns, Popeye’s hatred for coleslaw runs so deep it even lives on on Trip Advisor. As a critic wrote: “This Cole Slaw was not sweet and it was full of mayonnaise. Do better. To be honest I threw it out because it didn’t taste good at all.”
To learn more, check out the 108 most popular sodas ranked by toxicity.
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